Areas In (or Near) Boston Similar to South End (Cambridge: apartments, rental market)

[shista]

Hi All! I am thinking about moving from NYC to Boston in Sept and have been trying to research neighborhoods / cities near Boston that I could move to. I really like South End but worry it might be costly (I can only afford up to 1500$ per month for rent). Can any of you suggest another neighborhood in Boston or a city near Boston that is similar to South End? I won't have a car right away so would need an area with public transportation.

From what I've researched, I like South End because it's so quaint. I like the tree lined blocks, Victorian houses and the fact it seems somewhat residential and is slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet is still close to everything. I don't need to be around all the "hot" restaurants or bars, although I wouldn't be opposed. I also don't want have my apt located where there are thousands of people everywhere and bustling with noise, like in NYC.

Any help would be great. Thank you, everyone!! : ) I am nervous but excited because although NYC is not forever for me, there are definitely some things I love about here that I hope will be the same in Boston.

[TAM88]

Originally Posted by shista

Hi All! I am thinking about moving from NYC to Boston in Sept and have been trying to research neighborhoods / cities near Boston that I could move to. I really like South End but worry it might be costly (I can only afford up to 1500$ per month for rent). Can any of you suggest another neighborhood in Boston or a city near Boston that is similar to South End? I won't have a car right away so would need an area with public transportation.

From what I've researched, I like South End because it's so quaint. I like the tree lined blocks, Victorian houses and the fact it seems somewhat residential and is slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet is still close to everything. I don't need to be around all the "hot" restaurants or bars, although I wouldn't be opposed. I also don't want have my apt located where there are thousands of people everywhere and bustling with noise, like in NYC.

Any help would be great. Thank you, everyone!! : ) I am nervous but excited because although NYC is not forever for me, there are definitely some things I love about here that I hope will be the same in Boston.

You should be able to find an apartment in the South End and are willing to spend $1500/month on rent. The South End is a great area.

But if you want a comparable neighborhood, I think South Boston will be a good option. I would say Back Bay, but it can be more expensive than South Boston and you may get less for your money. South Boston has good transit options. Multiple bus routes run through it and there are two stops on the red line. It's an area that has undergone a big change over the last decade plus and there are a ton of younger (22-32) people there. Not too loud. Good bars. Close to downtown. There's the beach and nice areas to walk.

Charlestown is another option. I have found it to be more expensive than South Boston. Lots of nice brick apartments, it's compact and quaint. I like it up there, but it can be expensive.

[shista]

Oh, great! What would you say is the average cost for a 1 bedroom in South End? 1500$ is more than I'd like to spend so less would be best. And could I get a decent sized 1-brd apt there you think? (Something larger than 400 square feet).

Last question! Is South End (or even South Boston, Charlestown) diverse? I know nothing will be as diverse as NYC but just wanted to see if that area has some diversity.. and is open to it.

Thank you so much for your help, TAM88 : )

[Cliff Clavin]

I live in South Boston and will say it's mostly white. I'd guess at least 90% or so. There are large Polish, Lithuanian and Albanian communities however. South End would be the most diverse of the 3, although still predominately white.

I've been out of the rental market now for about 5 years, but would guess $1500 would be on the low end for the SE. Especially for a 1BR. I'd think you could find a studio for that $. A 1BR in South Boston would be a little more doable at that price.

[Verseau]

Originally Posted by shista

From what I've researched, I like South End because it's so quaint. I like the tree lined blocks, Victorian houses and the fact it seems somewhat residential and is slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet is still close to everything. I don't need to be around all the "hot" restaurants or bars, although I wouldn't be opposed. I also don't want have my apt located where there are thousands of people everywhere and bustling with noise, like in NYC.

There's no exact carbon copy of the South End anywhere in the city, but here are a few options with pros and cons:

South Boston. It has the urban density, some really nice Victorian architecture (overwhelmingly clapboard, but with a smattering of brownstones here and there) interspersed with triple deckers, and generally feels like a quiet, residential area that is still fairly close to downtown via public transit. It's not quite as heavily treed as the South End, but it's practically surrounded by the ocean, offering some great R&R spots (M Street Beach, Castle Island, etc.) It's more affordable than the South End, but still on the pricey side. On the other hand, it's not very diverse (possibly the whitest neighborhood in the city) outside of the areas surrounding the public housing developments (e.g. Andrew Square). These spots are actually pretty affordable, but lack the aesthetic appeal of the South End. Ironically, the less desirable parts of Southie are along the Red Line, meaning that most residents rely heavily on bus service instead of the T. I would say the two streets that most resemble the South End are East Broadway and K Street, but you're really not in the "heart of the action" in the same way that you would be in the South End.

Charlestown. Similar to Southie in many respects: dense, mostly residential, lots of clapboard houses (except even older - not many triple deckers here), (larger) pockets of brownstones, primarily reliant on buses, and predominantly white aside from the areas of public housing. It's more expensive than Southie, and some parts are on par with or above the South End. But for good reason: you can literally walk to downtown Boston in just a couple minutes from some areas, which simply isn't possible in Southie. In this case, it's the parts closest to the Orange Line and downtown Boston that are the most expensive, whereas the less desirable areas are farther away. These highly pricey areas abound with historic brownstones and narrow tree-lined streets.

Mid-Cambridge. I'm going a little farther away from downtown Boston here, but based on your criteria, it sounds like you would probably enjoy the area between Central and Harvard Squares in Cambridge. Rather than the dense brownstone rowhouses of the South End, you have a hodgepodge of large Victorian homes, triple deckers, and even a few brownstones; but all of them on leafy, tree-lined residential streets. The Red Line is very convenient for reaching downtown Boston, and the walk across the river from Central Square to Back Bay doesn't really take that long anyway. At the same time, you don't even need to leave Cambridge to experience the urban lifestyle, because Mass Ave is a vibrant lifeline of things to do. It's definitely more diverse than South Boston or Charlestown, more similar to the South End (if not even more diverse). In fact, it's arguably more exciting than either of the preceding nabes, while still maintaining its quiet back streets. It's certainly not the cheapest part of Boston, but Central Square is probably more affordable than the other recommendations; Harvard less so.

Brookline Village. On the other side of the Charles, Brookline Village has a lot of the same appeal as Mid-Cambridge: very leafy, quiet residential streets, with even more numerous historic, attractive, large Victorian houses, all while being not too far removed from the urban hustle and bustle (e.g. Coolidge Corner). Rents range from reasonable to insane depending on the exact spot, and diversity varies as well but is relatively high, especially along the border with Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain. Of course, it's on the Green Line, but if you don't mind dealing with that, it's worth looking into.

I think it will be tough to find a reasonably large place in your price range in any of these neighborhoods, but not impossible. If you're willing to live farther from downtown or sacrifice the nice housing stock, your options open up. Still, at $1500 you're more likely to be living in a triple decker than in a beautiful Victorian in one of these neighborhoods.

[missionhill]

Like the South End in being young, affluent, partly gay, and having good restaurants? Think of Jamaica Plain. Like the South End in racial/ethnic/class diversity? Think of Fort Hill in Roxbury or Jones Hill/Savin Hill in Dorchester. Like the South End in having beautiful blocks of brick rowhouses rather than the more typical wood-frame Boston area vernacular? Then consider Charlestown. There are red brick rows in Roxbury, Cambridge, East Boston, and South Boston too, in among the wood-frame.